Borussia Dortmund ends pursuit of Said El Mala
Borussia Dortmund has officially withdrawn from the race to sign FC Köln winger Said El Mala due to a disagreement over transfer terms.
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Borussia Dortmund has officially called off its pursuit of FC Köln's 19-year-old winger Said El Mala. The Bundesliga club has decided to move on after failing to reach an agreement with the Cologne side.
El Mala emerged as a top prospect in the Bundesliga last season, contributing 13 goals and five assists across 36 appearances. His performance made him a prime target for Dortmund's summer recruitment strategy.
Dortmund was reportedly prepared to offer 55 million euros, including performance-based bonuses. However, Cologne demanded a guaranteed fee of 50 million euros without any conditions, a structure that the Dortmund board refused to accept.
Said El Mala is not a Borussia Dortmund player and will not become one this summer. We held open talks with FC Köln's management in recent days, but they rejected our final offer. Borussia Dortmund will not submit another bid and will no longer pursue the player's transfer. Lars Ricken